Free-falling, self-locking adjustable tip assembly

Abstract

An improved tip assembly which includes a tongue plate insertable into a buckle is provided for a safety belt apparatus in which a continuous retractable belt length provides both a lap portion and a shoulder portion. The tip assembly through which the belt passes has a snubber slide engaged with the tongue plate and slidable relative thereto. When the belt is drawn by the passenger over his body, the belt shifts the snubber slide rearward on the tongue plate to where the belt is firmly gripped at normal loads between a surface of the tongue plate and a surface of the snubber slide, whereby that portion of the belt which extends across the passenger's lap cannot expand. At heavy deceleration loads, e.g. 150 lbs on the lap belt, a portion of the snubber slide deflects to decrease the gripping action to allow transfer of belt from the shoulder belt into the lap belt. When the belt is retracted so that a run of the belt is substantially vertical, the weight of the tip assembly causes its front end to tip downward causing the slide to fall forward along the tongue plate releasing its grip on the belt, whereby the tip assembly freely falls to a lower position along the vertical belt run.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a safety belt apparatus, the combination comprising: a safety belt having a shoulder portion and a lap portion, a seat belt retractor connected to one end of the safety belt and pulling on the belt for rewinding the belt and for pulling a portion of the belt into a generally vertical position when the belt is released for full retraction, a tip assembly slidably mounted on the belt and having a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, and snubber means on the tip assembly shiftable by the tongue plate hanging downwardly and with the belt in the vertical position to allow free sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt, said snubber means being shifted to a belt gripping position by the belt lap portion under tension from the retractor when the tongue plate is connected to the buckle, said snubber means releasing the gripping action to allow transfer of belt from the shoulder portion into the lap portion at a predetermined force applied by the lap portion to said snubber means.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said snubber means comprises a snubber slide having a belt gripping edge and in which said tip has a belt gripping edge for gripping the belt between the respective edges, said snubber means having a deflectable portion engaging said lap belt and for forcing said slide and its gripping edge into the belt gripping position, said deflectable portion being deflected by said lap belt at said predetermined loads to thereby reduce the gripping force applied by the slide gripping edge to the belt to allow the belt to slide. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which tip gripping edge is located in a plane and in which said deflectable portion comprises a beam deflectable at said predetermined loads into or past said plane.